A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

James Joyce

Study Questions

Suggestions for Further Reading

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What does Stephen's father call him as a child?

(A) Baby tuckoo

(B) Baby butter

(C) Moocow

(D) Lemon platt

Where does Stephen attend school as a child?

(A) Trinity

(B) Clongowes

(C) Athy

(D) Eton

Why do John Casey and Dante argue at Stephen's first Christmas dinner at the adult table?

(A) Casey supports the Catholic Church and Dante is against it

(B) Casey supports Parnell and Dante is against him

(C) Casey is in favor of Stephen attending Clongowes and Dante is against it

(D) Casey and Dante are enemies and no one knows why

Why does Father Dolan whip Stephen during Latin class?

(A) Stephen is not doing his work because his glasses are broken

(B) Stephen is not doing his work because he does not know the answers to the Latin problems

(C) Stephen is talking to another student to get answers to the Latin problems

(D) Stephen is talking to another student because his glasses are broken

How does Father Conmee respond to Stephen's request that he talk to Father Dolan about his punishment in Latin class?

(A) He sends Stephen for another whipping

(B) He laughs at Stephen and tells him to return to his dorm

(C) He tells Stephen that he deserved the whipping

(D) He promises to talk to Father Dolan

What does Mike Flynn try to teach Stephen to do?

(A) Shoot a gun

(B) Play chess

(C) Run

(D) Write poetry

With which novel does Stephen fall in love?

(A)
Frankenstein

(B)
The Three Musketeers

(C)
The Count of Monte Cristo

(D)
Ulysses

To whom does Stephen write his first love poem?

(A) "E—C—"

(B) "R—V—"

(C) "C—V—"

(D) "E—B—"

Which two colors does Stephen associate with Dante?

(A) Green and orange

(B) Green and maroon

(C) Yellow and gray

(D) Yellow and orange

Which character smokes "black twists" of tobacco?

(A) Simon Dedalus

(B) John Casey

(C) Uncle Charles

(D) Temple

Why do Stephen and his father travel to Cork?

(A) To visit relatives

(B) To see the sights

(C) To look at a university there

(D) To sell some things at an auction

Why is Stephen embarrassed of his father when they visit Cork?

(A) Simon gets drunk and nostalgic

(B) Simon gets into a fight at a bar

(C) Simon treats Stephen like a little child

(D) Simon spends too much money at the auction

What does Stephen do to win prize money?

(A) He wins a footrace

(B) He wins an essay prize

(C) He has the highest test scores in his class

(D) He gives an award-winning Latin oration

What does Stephen do with his prize money?

(A) He spends it on new clothes for church

(B) He spends it on books of poetry

(C) He buys presents for "E—C—"

(D) He spends it on his family

In what city does Stephen first have sex with a prostitute?

(A) Cork

(B) Dublin

(C) Blackrock

(D) Belfast

How does Stephen react to having slept with a prostitute?

(A) He feels proud and serene

(B) He feels alienated and anguished

(C) He feels afraid and depressed

(D) He feels liberated and confident

Where does Stephen hear Father Arnall give his sermons on hell?

(A) At a three-day Belvedere retreat

(B) At Mass

(C) In class at Belvedere

(D) In the confessional

What is Stephen's reaction to Father Arnall's sermons?

(A) He becomes even more alienated and secretive than before

(B) He rejects religion forever

(C) He has a nervous breakdown

(D) He confesses his sins

Who suggests to Stephen that he might become a member of the Jesuit order?

(A) The headmaster at Clongowes

(B) The director of Belvedere

(C) Father Arnall

(D) His father

What sight makes Stephen realize that he wants to dedicate himself to art?

(A) His beloved on the steps of a train

(B) The performance of a play

(C) A girl on the beach

(D) A group of priests

Instead of becoming a Jesuit, what does Stephen do?

(A) He becomes a carpenter

(B) He becomes a doctor

(C) He continues to study at Belvedere

(D) He attends university

Which of Stephen's friends at the university is staunchly patriotic?

(A) Temple

(B) Davin

(C) Cranly

(D) Lynch

What is one of the basic distinctions of Stephen's aesthetic theory?

(A) Strong vs. weak art

(B) Pure vs. impure art

(C) Active vs. passive art

(D) Static vs. kinetic art

Which of the following lists corresponds to one of the distinctions made in Stephen's aesthetic theory?

(A) Prose, poetry, and song

(B) Epical, lyrical, and dramatic

(C) Practical, abstract, and fantastical

(D) Fictional, realistic, and liminal

What ceremony does Cranly try to convince Stephen to attend, for his mother's sake?